Shaving mug



July 25, 1967 A, J, BRO ING 3,332,540

SHAVING MUG I Filed July 16, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet l Fm. I

INVENTOR. PEG 2 ARTHUR J. BROWNING BY MORGAN, FINNEGAN,DURHAM 8: PINEATTORNEYS July 25, 1967 BROWNING 3,332,540

SHAVING MUG Filed July 16, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 'ARTHUR J.BROWNING BY MORGAN, FINNEGAN, DURHAM a PlNE ATTORNEYS July 25, 1967 r J,owm 3,332,540

SHAVING MUG INVENTOR.

ARTHUR J. BROWNING.

BY FGf? 'MORGAN,FINNEGAN, DURHAM a PINE ATTORNEYS United States Patent3,332,540 SHAVING MUG Arthur J. Browning, 4001 Harold St., DownersGrove, Ill. 60515 Filed July 16, 1964, Ser. No. 383,148 4 Claims. (Q1.206-1) This invention relates to an improved, lightweight, resilient anddurable shaving mug for firmly and securely holding a cake of shavingsoap, and to an improvement in a cake of shaving soap.

Prior to the large scale commercialization of shaving creams, and, muchlater, foam compositions, the predominant lather producing medium forshaving purposes was soap. Of all commercially popular and availableshaving preparations, it is believed that shaving soap is, in the longrun, the most inexpensive to use. The factors of personal preference,especially among the users of shaving soaps before the popularization ofshaving creams and foam compositions, the high quality of the latherproduced from shaving soaps, and cost have led a substantial number ofconsumers to remain users of shaving soap, even in the face of thebenefits, especially convenience, claimed for shaving creams and foamcompositions.

However, while the shave preparation industry has made significantstrides in the production and marketing of shaving creams and foamcompositions, there have been little or no efli'orts to cure thoseconditions attending the use of shaving soap which have given rise tocontentions that shaving creams and foam compositions are moreconvenient to use than shaving soaps. Thus, even though the market forshaving preparations has markedly increased, the number of persons usingshaving mugs and soaps has not increased in proportion to the increasednumber of persons shaving.

Several factors traceable to the shaving mug constructions, and to thecommercially available soaps, have de tracted from shaving mugs andsoaps and may have played a significant role in the failure of thesematerials to keep pace with the increased consumption of shaving creamsand foam compositions. For example, shaving cups or mugs have mostusually been made of rigid materials such as various ceramic materials,glass, metal and wood, and to some extent from molded rubber. They havebeen made in various sizes and configurations and many available formspossess "a complex structure. Most often, the shaving mugs have beeneither quite substantial in size or weight, or, conversely, werefragile. In either case, they are deemed objectionable in that theformer are cumbersome and the latter were readily broken unless handledwith extreme care.

In addition, shaving mugs have been criticized as being messy. Thiscondition may result not only from the configurations of the mug itself,but, also, to a great measure from the fact that the cakes of soap donot fit properly within the mug.

The commercially available cakes of shaving soap intended for use withthe existing mugs have, for the most part, been produced in asubstantially uniform range of diameters. The most frequentlyencountered cakes of shaving soap range in diameter from about 2 /2inches to slightly under 3 inches.

The shaving mugs for which such cakes of shaving soap are intended havebeen made, and are still being made, with diameters substantially largerthan the cakes of shaving soap available. For this reason, the soapcakes do not fit snugly within the mugs, and there may be as much as Ainch, or more, between the diameter of the cake of shaving soap and theinner diameter of the mug.

Further, when lather is developed from the shaving soap by swirling thebrush over the soap surface, the soap frequently is caused to move,slip, or spin within the ice mug. For a considerable time after a freshcake of soap has been placed in a mug, it will rest loosely on thebottom of the mug. During this period, and until the soap adheres to thebase of the mug, there is a likelihood that the soap will fallout of themug when the mug and soap are rinsed after use. This condition existseven as to mugs provided with an annular recess in the base of the mugfor the ostensible purpose of holding the soap in place as is shown, forexample, in United States Patent 1,430,917.

Another attempt to avoid slipping or spinning of the cakes of shavingsoap within the mug included the use of projections or ridges spacedalong the inner wall of the mug near its bottom. These projections,though effective with cakes of soap having diameters approximating thediameter of the mugs, are of no value in those instances when the mugdiameters are significantly greater than the cake diameter so as toleave an open space between the projections and the outer circumferenceof the cakes.

In those instances when a consumer purchases a commercially availablecake of shaving soap which, by chance, fits snugly and firmly within theshaving mug, an additional problem is encountered. As a fresh cake ofshaving soap is pressed firmly into the mug, a pocket of air is formedbetween the bottom face of the soap and the bottom surface of the mug.The snug fit between the circumferential surface of the soap and theinner surface of the mug prevents the trapped air from escaping.Consequently, a soap is not fully seated within the mug and thelikelihood of the soap falling out of'the mug during rinsing isincreased.

The disadvantages attending the use of the existing cumbersome, fragile,essentially rigid, shaving mugs which do not properly accommodate thecommercially available shaving soaps have tended to diminish thepopularity of shaving soaps as contrasted with the other shavingpreparations.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a shaving mug whichobviates the difliculties flowing from the inherent nature of theexisting mugs and shaving soaps presently available for use in suchmugs, and to provide a cake of shaving soap having a configuration whicheffectively precludes the formation of an undesirable air pocket betweenthe lower surface of the cake of shaving soap and the bottom surface ofthe mug.

A further object of this invention is to provide a lightweight andresilient shaving mug which, by reason of its resiliency, willaccommodate different sizes of soaps, yet

. snugly and firmly hold them in place while, at the same time, being ofsufficient rigidity to maintain its shape.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a shaving mugwhich may be readily and inexpensively fabricated, but which, at thesame time, will be strong and resist breakage. Another object of thisinvention is to provide a sturdy, lightweight, and resilient shaving mugwhose internal construction will snugly and firmly hold a cake ofshaving soap in place while, at the same time, precluding the formationof an undesirable pocket of air in the base of the mug when a new cakeof shaving soap is inserted into the mug.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cake of shavingsoap having a novel configuration which will effectively prevent theformation of a trapped pocket of air between the lower face of the soapand the base of the mug, even in those instances when the soap of thisinvention is utilized with rigid shaving mugs of known constructionWhose diameter closely approximates the diameter of the shaving soap.

Other objects, features and advantages will become obvious to thoseskilled in the art from the detailed description of illustrativeembodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Patented July 25, 1967 FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment ofmy improved shaving mug;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the shaving mug illustrated in FIGURE1 with a portion cut away to show, generally, the configuration of thewall and base;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a cake of shaving soap according to myinvention;

FIGURE 4 is a view, in section, of the shaving mug illustrated in FIGURE1 taken along line 1VIV;

FIGURE 5A is an elevational view, in phantom, of one form ofacommerically available cake of shaving soap;

FIGURE 5B is an elevational view, in phantom, of another form of acommercially available cake of shaving soap;

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view of another embodiment of my improvedshaving mug with a portion cut away to illustrate the means in the baseof the mug for escape of air; and

FIGURE 7 is a sectional plan view of the shaving mug illustrated inFIGURE 6 taken along line VIIVII.

According to one embodiment of my invention, the shaving mug isgenerally cup-shaped and is fabricated of resilient plastic materialcapable of slight expansion or distortion, laterally, to firmly andsnugly accommodate a cake of shaving soap pressed within the cup. It isalso provided with means to permit the escape of air from the shavingmug when a cake of shaving soap is pressed into snug fittingrelationship with the interior walls of the mug.

Referring to the drawings, and, more particularly, to FIGURES 1, 2 and4, a shaving mug according to one embodiment of the invention is showngenerally at 10. The mug is cup-shaped having a closed end serving asthe base, an open end, and, circumferentially, is generally circular.The mug has a wall, designated 14, a base 18 and is provided with ahandle 12 to facilitate handling and use. The wall 14 extends upwardlyfrom base 18, and as shown in FIGURE 2, has a substantially verticallower section 13 and an upwardly and outwardly flared upper section 15.The upper flared section 15 provides the mug with an enlarged opening ormouth to facilitate the placement of the brush inside the mug for thepurpose of developing lather from the shaving soap resting on the bottomof the mug.

The base 18 is shown, by way of illustration, as being concave. However,it should be understood that the base may take other forms, and, forexample, be substantially planar. If desired, the base may also beprovided with projections or other non-skid surfaces to reduce thelikelihood of the mug slipping or skidding on smooth stnfaces,

as sinks, where the mug is generally used.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, the mug is provided with an annulardepression 24 with a sloping wall leading upwardly to a planar surface20. The annular depression 24 and planar surface of the mug conformgenerally to the configurations of the form of a commercially availablecake of shaving soap illustrated in FIGURE 5A.

The soap cake 40 of FIGURE 5A is round with a smooth circumference 41,is provided with a concavity in its upper and lower faces, as shown at42 and 43, and an annular rim on each of these faces. Soaps of thisconfiguration, as is well-known, are distributed by the J. B. WilliamsCo., Inc. and the Colgate-Palmolive Company.

As will be understood, a cake of shaving soap having the configurationof cake 4%), when placed in mug 10, will rest on the bottom of the mugwith the lower face of the cake 43 in contact with surface 20 and thelower annular rim of the soap cake resting on the annular depression 24,as shown in FIGURE 4.

The substantially vertical lower section 13 of wall 14 extends upwardlyto about the mid-point of the wall height, although it may extend aboveor below the midpoint depending on the overall external configurationdesired. It is contemplated that, in this embodiment of the invention,the lower section extend vertically to a height greater than thethickness of the cakes of shaving soap, as 49, to be used with mug 10.Above the lower section 13, the wall extends upwardly and is flaredoutwardly, as shown at 15, to provide mug 10 with the enlarged open end.

The interior circumferential surface 16 of the mug is also generallycircular and is preferably smooth and continuous with the exception of avertical groove 22, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 4. Groove 22, preferably,extends upwardly from the vicinity of the annular depression 24 toslightly beyond the point on wall 14 at which the upper flared section15 begins. Itis contemplated that wall 14, with the exception of groove22, be of uniform thickness.

Shaving mug 10 may be fabricated as a unitary structure, as by molding,from resilient plastic materials, as polyethylene or polypropylene,which are capable of withstanding the hot water temperatures usuallyencountered in shaving without significant deformation or loss of shape.These materials make for a lightweight, durable shaving mug having along, useful life In addition, such plastic compositions possess a highdegree of resiliency which not only serves to reduce the likelihood ofbreakage, but also permits the wall of the mug to expand laterally tofirmly and snugly accommodate the commercially available soap cakes.

According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2and 4, it is contemplated that the inner diameter of mug 10, especiallyof lower section 13, be made substantially equal to the diameter of thecommercially available soap cakes having the configuration shown inFIGURE 5A. When cakes of soap are placed into the mug 10 having aninternal diameter in the lower section 13 substantially equal to thediameter of the cake, there will be, as may be appreciated, a snug fit.As the cake is lowered into place on the bottom of the mug, the pocketof air between the lower face of the cake and the planar surface 20 willnot be trapped, but will escape via groove 22. In this way, anundesirable pocket of trapped air will be avoided and the cake seatedsnugly and properly on the bottom of the mug.

It should also be understood that the resiliency of the materials fromwhich the mug 10 is formed will also permit cakes of soap havingdiameters slightly larger than the internal diameter of the mug to befirmly and snugly seated in the mug. When a cake of soap having aslightly larger diameter is placed in the mug 10, the wall 14 may expandslightly from the position of the wall when the mug is empty, asindicated by the broken line 16a (see FIGURE 4), to the position shownby the full line 16. In this instance, groove 22 adequately provides forthe escape of air from beneath the cake and permits a full seating ofthe cake on surface 26. At the same time, the mug 10 firmly and securelyholds the cake in place.

Another embodiment of my invention is illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7.The shaving mug of this embodiment is also generally cup-shaped and isfabricated of resilient plastic material capable of slight expansion,laterally, to firmly and snugly accommodate a cake of shaving soap,especially of the type having the configuration illustrated in FIGURE53. The mug 50 is, circumferentially, generally circular, has a base 58,and at its upper end is provided with an enlarged opening or mouth. Themug has a wall, designated 54, and a handle 52.

Wall 54 extends upwardly from base 58, and as shown in FIGURE 6, has asubstantially vertical lower section 53 and an upwardly and slightlyoutwardly flared upper section 55. The diameter of lower wall section 53is less than the diameter at any point along the upper wall section 55,with the two wall sections divided by a sloped shelf portion indicatedgenerally at 51. 7

Base 58 is shown as being concave, but may, if-desired, be substantiallyflat. It should be understood that base 58 may, as with base 18, beadditionally provided with non-skid surfaces to reduce the likelihood ofthe mug slipping or skidding on smooth surfaces.

Base 58 is provided with a small centrally located opening 62 fittedwith a stopper 64. In its preferred form, stopper 64 has an enlargedhead, and is of a length such that when it is fitted in aperture 62, itsend face, 68, is flush with the inner bottom surface 60 of mug 50.Preferably, stopper 64 is formed with a circumferential bead 66 adaptedto fit within an annular groove 70 formed in the circumference ofopening 62. Stopper 64 is adapted to firmly seal aperture 62, yet beeasily removed therefrom with a light pull. The enlarged head of stopper64 facilitates removal of the stopper.

The soap cake 44 of FIGURE 5B is round with smooth circumferentialsurfaces. The upper face is formed with a concavity 48, while the lowerface 49 is generally fiat. The upper section 46 is of a larger diameterthan lower section 45. An inwardly and downwardly sloping section 47 islocated between the upper and lower sections. Soap cakes of thisconfiguration are distributed by Shulton, Inc. under the trademark OldSpice.

The mug of the embodiment of FIGURES 6 and 7 is adapted to accommodatesoap cakes having the configuration illustrated in FIGURE 5B. It iscontemplated that the inner diameter of mug 50, especially lower section53, and, preferably, the inner diameter of upper section 55 as well,particularly in the vicinity of shelf 51, be made substantially equal tothe corresponding diameters of lower and upper sections 45, 46 ofcommercially available soap cakes having the configuration illustratedin FIGURE 5B. It may be appreciated that when such a soap cake is placedin mug 50, the lower face 49 of the cake will rest on surface 60 of themug, and sloping section 47 will coincide and conform with shelf 51 ofthe mug.

It will be understood that when the diametral relationship of the soapand mug are as here described, there will be a snug fit of the soapwithin the mug. As the cake is being lowered into place, the pocket ofair between lower face 49 and planar surface 60 will be permitted toescape by removal of stopper 64 from opening 62. Once the cake is firmlyand properly seated, stopper 64 may be reinserted to seal the mug andprevent accidental leakage of water and lather from the base of the mugthrough opening 62.

The resiliency of mug 50 will also permit cakes of soap having diametersslightly larger than the internal diameter of wall section 53 to befirmly and snugly seated in the mug. When a cake of soap having aslightly larger diameter is placed in mug 50, wall 54 may expandslightly from the position 'of the wall when the mug is empty, asindicated by the broken line 56a (see FIGURE 6) to the position shown byfull line 56. In this respect, the lateral expansion of wall 56 is asdescribed with mug 10.

According to another embodiment of my invention, there is provided acake of shaving soap having an external configuration which providesmeans for the prevention of an undesirable air pocket and which may beused with existing shaving mugs not provided with vent means for theelimination of the air pocket, as well as with shaving mugs inaccordance with my invention.

Referring to FIGURE 3, there is illustrated a generally circular cake ofsoap 30 having a circumferential surface 34, and a concavity 32 formedin its upper surface. Although a concavity is shown in the upper face,it should be understood that a similar concavity may be formed in thelower face, or, if desired, one or both of these faces may be fiat.

Circumference 34 is generally smooth, except for a groove 36 whichextends the entire thickness of the cake. Groove 36 serves as the meansfor venting the pocket of air which forms when a tightly fitting cake ofsoap is inserted into a shaving mug. Accordingly, it should beappreciated that cakes of soap embodying a venting groove 36 may be madein various diameters and configurations so that they may be used withmany of the existing shaving mugs, as well as with mugs in accordancewith my invention. I

As the shaving mugs of my invention will be light in weight andunbreakable, it is recognized that they will be ideally suited fortravel purposes. It is, therefore, contemplated that the mugs may beprovided with inexpensive lids which can be easily snapped over theopening to seal the mug. I also contemplate that the shaving mugs may beprepared with letters or symbols embossed or printed on the outer wallsof the mugs. Thus, the mugs may 'be readily personalized by theplacement of names on the walls. Further, the mugs, being inexpensive tomanufacture, are ideally suited for use in promotional programs. Forsuch purposes, the mugs may bear the name of a company, with or withoutother advertising copy.

Although my invention has been described with particular reference tospecific illustrative embodiments, the same are not to be construed asin any way limiting the invention. Reference is, therefore, to be hadsolely to the appended claims for the purpose of determining the scopeof the invention.

I claim:

1. A shaving mug for holding a cake of shaving soap firmly and securelyin place, comprising: a resilient plastic cup-shaped container having abase and walls extending upwardly from said base, said container havingan interior diameter at and near its base sufliciently smaller than thatof the shaving soap used in conjunction therewith whereby when a cake ofshaving soap is in place in said container, the walls will firmly andsecurely grasp the soap and means in said container for the escape ofair which would ordinarily be trapped between the base of said containerand the lower face of a cake of soap being pressed therein.

2. A shaving mug of the character described in claim 1, in which thebase of said container has an opening formed in it, whereby when saidopening is exposed, air, which would ordinarily be trapped between saidbase and the lower face of a cake 'of soap being pressed therein, mayescape, and a stopper removably fitted in said openmg.

3. A shaving mug of the character described in claim 1, in which saidmeans for the escape of air is a vertical groove formed in the interiorwall of the container.

4. A shaving mug and a cake of shaving soap, the combination comprising:a resilient plastic cup-shaped container having a base and wallsextending upwardly therefrom, and a cake of shaving soap in saidcontainer, said container having an interior diameter at and near itsbase sufficiently smaller than that of the shaving soap used incombination therewith whereby when a cake of shaving soap is placed insaid container, the walls will finm-ly and securely grasp the soap, saidsoap having a vertical groove on its circumferential surface providing apassage for the escape of air which would ordinarily be trapped betweenthe base of said container and the lower face of said soap being pressedtherein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 328,020 10/1885 Fuchs et al 20656970,779 9/ 1910 Arnone 206-56 1,369,767 3/ 1921 Amis 206-1 1,898,654 2/1933 Breslauer. 3,091,360 5/1963 Edwards 22097 FOREIGN PATENTS 332,4137/ 1930 Great Britain. 760,398 10/1956 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Examiner.

1. A SHAVING MUG FOR HOLDING A CAKE OF SHAVING SOAP FIRMLY AND SECURELYIN PLACE, COMPRISING: A RESILIENT PLASTIC CUP-SHAPED CONTAINER HAVING ABASE AND WALLS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE, SAID CONTAINER HAVINGAN INTERIOR DIAMETER AT AND NEAR ITS BASE SUFFICIENTLY SMALLER THAN THATOF THE SHAVING SOAP USED IN CONJUNCTION THEREWITH WHEREBY WHEN A CAKE OFSHAVING SOAP IS IN PLACE IN SAID CONTAINER, THE WALLS WILL FIRMLY ANDSECURELY GRASP THE SOAP AND MEANS IN SAID CONTAINER FOR ESCAPE OF AIRWHICH WOULD ORDINARILY BE TRAPPED BETWEEN THE BASE OF SAID CONTAINER ANDTHE LOWER FACE OF A CAKE OF SOAP BEING PRESSED THEREIN.